Tongs



(Nd Model.)

B. SCOTT. TONGS.

No. 580,558. Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

v 1 7L! 122 \I E i HiWEfiSES: INUEN U I RMK Oz/(ML M Y CQ SZZW A TTYEDXVARD SCOTT, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,558, dated April13, 1897.

Application filed May 19, 1896.

To (all ZU/LONL it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SCOTT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Pittsburg, State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Tongs, of which the following isa specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention relates to improvements in tongs for lifting ingots andother bodies of metal; and the object of my invention is to provide asimple and practical method of opening and releasing the tongs from thebody of metal. The methods heretofore employed required the services ofseveral men, but with my improved method one man can easily operate thetongs.

A description of my improvements will be fully shown and described inthe accompanying drawings and specification, in which- Figure 1 is aside View of the tongs having my improvements attached thereto and thelegs opened to receive the body of metal. Fig. 2 is also a side viewwith a portion of the tongs removed and showing the means for openingand closing the tongs.

Similar figures refer to similar parts in the several views shown.

To put my invention into practice, I provide a suitable pair of tongs 1,having holes 2 formed in its legs. The eyebolts 3 are loosely securedwithin the said holes. The right-angular blocks 4 are loosely pivoted tothe said eyebolts by the pins or rivets 5. The links 7 and 8 are thenpivoted to the said blocks by the pins or rivets 6 and at right anglesto that of the pins 5. The said links are then loosely pivoted togetherby the pin or rivet 9. A flange 10 is formed upon the link 7 and beyondits pivoted point and serves as a stop or lock to prevent the turning ofthe links past their center. A handle 11 is secured fast to the link 8for the purpose of operating the links. Attached to the upper ends ofthe legs are the chains 12. A ring 13 is secured to the said chains,connecting them together. A rod 14:, having a hook or eye 14 formed uponits upper end, is secured to the said ring. Upon the lower end of thesaid rod is formed the head 15. The plates 16 and 17 are loosely mountedupon the rod,

in the county of Allegheny and Serial No. 592,207- (No model.)

and the spiral spring 18 is arranged between the plates and looselysurrounds the rod. The U-shaped link 19 is loosely mounted to the saidplates and is held secure by heads 20 to the plate 16. A chain 21 isattached to the link and also attached to the clevis 22, the said clevisbeing loosely secured to the pivotbolt 23, which secures the legs of thetongs together. The object of this arrangement is to transfer the strainfrom the legs to the center of the tongs, chains, &c., when the objectis lifted by the tongs, as will be readily understood in the operation.The tongs are attached to a crane by the ring 13.

In operating the tongs the legs and jaws are spread apart, as shown inFig. 1. The jaws are then let down over the body to be lifted. Thehandle 11 is then lifted up at right angles to the tongs and turnedsidewise, so as to open the links, as shown at Fig. 2 by the dottedlines. This operation closes the jaws upon the body or object to belifted. The object is then transferred to the place desired by means ofthe crane. In releasing the object or body from the tongs the handle isagain lifted up at right angles to the tongs and turned, which operationcloses the links and draws the legs inwardly and the jaws outwardly,thereby releasing them from the object.

It will be readily seen that when the object is suspended by the tongsthey may be readily and easily opened, as the weight is almost entirelysuspended by the chains, &c. The holes 2 may be located at variouspoints along the legs and the eyebolts attached thereto according to thesize of the object to be lifted.

Having thus fully shown and described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a pair of tongs, a

means of relieving the strain from the legs,

consisting of the following parts: the chains 12 secured to the upperends of the tongs, the ring 13 secured to the said chains, the rod 14secured to the said ring, plates 16 and 17 loosely connected to the saidrod, spiral spring 18 surrounding the said rod and adapted to operatebetween the said plates, the U shaped link 19 loosely secured to thesaid plates and adapted to operate therewith, the chain 21 connected tothe said link and the clevis 22 connecting the said chain to the pivotedpoint of the tongs, all parts arranged and adapted to operate,substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination Withthe herein-described tongs, a means of opening andclosing the said tongs consisting of the following combination of parts:the eyebolts 3 loosely pivoted or secured to the said tongs, the angularblocks 4 pivoted to and at right angles to said eyebolts, links 7 and 8pivoted together and their ends pivoted to and at right angles topivoted points of said blocks, the handle 11 secured fast to one of thesaid links and adapted to operate the said links, substan- I tially asand for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWVARD SCOTT. Vitnesses:

JAS. J. MCAFEE, RICHARD S. HARRISON.

